Comparison of Astigmatic Outcome of Inferior Incision Versus Superior Clear Corneal Incision in Phacoemulsification

Friday, April 25, 2014
KIOSKS (Boston Convention and Exhibition Center)
Man Soo Kim, MD, PhD, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Seoul, South Korea

Narrative Responses:

Purpose
To analyze the difference of astigmatism between inferior clear corneal incision and superior clear corneal incision following cataract surgery in surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) and mean change in keratometric astigmatism.

Methods
Total 60 eyes of 60 patients with with-the-rule astigmatism of greater than 0.5 diopters were evaluated. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to incision location (inferior incision in 30 eyes; Group A and superior incision in 30 eyes; Group B). Patients were examined on postoperative 1 month. Uncorrected visual acuity (logMAR), best-corrected visual acuity (logMAR), surgically induced astigmatism (SIA), and mean change in keratometric astigmatism were measured in both groups.

Results
One month postoperatively, mean UCVA was 0.225±0.19 log MAR in Group A and 0.23± 0.24 in log MAR in Group B (p = 0.810). Mean BCVA was 0.11±0.62 and 0.08±0.12 log MAR in Group A and B, respectively (p = 0.661). The SIA was 0.50±0.31 D @ 87’ and 0.57±0.34 D @ 93’ (p = 0.524) and mean change in keratometric astigmatism was 0.44±0.66 D and 0.38±0.86 D in Group A and B, respectively (p = 0.566).

Conclusion
There was no statistically significant difference between two groups. Thus, choosing the corneal incision at inferior side in patients of with-the-rule can be one of the choices of the treatment to reduce the SIA and mean change in keratometric astigmatism in patients of with-the-rule.